– The Snikfjell rule on environmental discounts in taxes

The government wants the Rogaland county council to abolish the environmental discount on tolls. This will have consequences for the whole country, warns the Electric Vehicle Association.

15.10.2026 16:13 | Updated 16:16

Norway has a national rule stating that electric vehicles pay at most 70 percent of the fossil fuel vehicle toll rate.

This rule was last established in the budget agreement during the previous parliamentary term and confirmed in the latest revision of the National Transport Plan.

However, in the proposed state budget for 2027, the government suggests that the Rogaland county council should break this rule and set the electric vehicle toll rate at up to 100 percent of the regular rate in Bypakke Nord-Jæren.

This has prompted a strong reaction from the Electric Vehicle Association.

– The environmental tax on fuel is a measure that people notice in their daily lives, and it serves as a clear signal that society wants a rapid transition to electric vehicles. Electric vehicle owners benefit from the current tax structure, as it rewards those who do not pollute, says Christina Bu, general secretary of the Electric Vehicle Association.

She believes that a 70 percent environmental tax on regular prices represents a moderate compromise between society’s various needs, including funding for transportation projects and the need to electrify road transport.

– We are far from achieving our goals in electric vehicle policy. As we phase out tax exemptions for electric vehicles now, policymakers should leave other measures in electric vehicle policy alone.

This shows that 65 percent of cars and 89 percent of trucks still run on fossil fuels on Norwegian roads.

Is this only applicable to Nord-Jæren, or …

The new Transport Minister, Kamzy Gunaratnam, admits that the government is proposing to remove electric vehicle incentives in toll zones across the country in the budget.

To VG, she said the following:

– This applies only to Nord-Jæren and is part of the negotiations for a new urban development agreement for the area. The proposal comes at the request of Rogaland county council, and it will still be up to local politicians to decide whether electric vehicle tolls should increase.

When VG asked the Transport Minister if other regions/counties would be denied such incentives if they applied, it became clear that once the door is slightly ajar, it’s at least not completely shut.

– We haven’t received any requests for this from other counties yet. If they do come in, we’ll have to consider them then, replies Gunaratnam.

Electric Vehicle Association responds to rail plan

The Electric Vehicle Association believes the minister’s response is either naive or a deliberate attempt to downplay the consequences of the government’s proposal.

• If Rogaland is exempt from this rule, it means the national rule will be abolished. The government should at least be honest about what they’re doing, says Bu.
• In practice, this means the government will quietly remove the national rule on environmental discounts for electric cars, but we hope other parties realize it’s too early. There are still a majority of car owners out there who need incentives to choose electric vehicles, she adds.

Now Bu and the Electric Vehicle Association hope that more environmentally conscious parties in the Storting will stop this proposal during this autumn’s budget negotiations.

The final state budget for 2027 will not be adopted until December, and the negotiations take place between the Labour Party, Centre Party, SV, MDG, and Red Party.

– Of course, others will try the same thing

The Electric Vehicle Association is closely following the discussions about tolls across the country.

– Of course, other toll organizations will be urged to do the same. We know that several have already considered it, says the association’s secretary general.

She gives a concrete example from the governing group in Bypakke Ålesund, which has adopted the following measure:

“The discount rate for zero-emission vehicles in tax class 1 in Bypakke Ålesund should be as low as possible, in line with the currently applicable national reduction guidelines.”

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Over three billion in increased fuel costs

When the government’s budget proposal was released, Elbilforeningen estimated that if all electric vehicle taxes in Norway were raised to the same level as those on fossil fuel vehicles, it would result in an estimated 2.5 billion kroner increase in fuel costs for electric vehicle owners.

Now, AutoPASS, owned by Statens vegvesen, has produced an updated calculation. It shows that if all electric vehicle taxes in Norway were raised to the same level as those on fossil fuel vehicles, it would result in an estimated 3.2 billion kroner increase in fuel costs for electric vehicle owners.

– This is the wrong signal to send at a time when fuel prices are high. Most people buy used cars, and many of those used car buyers will now have to purchase an electric vehicle for the first time. The environmental tax on fuel is an important signal to encourage the choice of electric vehicles in the used car market, says Bu.

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The article – Snikfjerner regelen om miljørabatt i bommene appeared first on Norsk elbilforening.